Morningtide by Cory J. Herndon and Scott McGouch - book review

The second book of the Lorwyn trilogy cycle, inspired by Magic: The Gathering.  These novels are usually light reading for on the bus or in the bath tub, like most sci-fi paperbacks, the old DnD novels and the likes of the 300 page range, and the kind of books I really enjoy reading.

In this second one of the Lorwyn cycle, which details the tales of how the plane of Lorwyn changed and turned darker, we explore the grouing corruption and changes of the world more as it builds up to the final volume.

The group of unlikely adventurers get split up in this book, and each travel seperate ways to hope and unravel the mysteries Colfenor, an old Treefolk that died in the first book in an effort to bind a flaming elemental, has brought about.

The first group is Rhys, fallen Daen of the Gilded Leaf elves and eyeblight, together with the two giants Kriel and Brion, Maralen, an elf of the Mournsong and with a mysterious secret, and two of the three elves from a Vengillion Clique, Ilyra and Veesa, who are strangely bound to Maralen.

While searching for the giantess and prophetess Rosheen, Rhys and his companions shake of the trail of his former friend Gryffid and his hunting elven packs, as well as the new Taercenn that replaced the fallen Nath after the battle of Kinsbale.  Using yew magic and desceit, he manages to escape time and again, until he finally meets with the enigmatic taercenn and a shocking truth is revealed to him, shaking his beliefs to their foundations.

The second group is the former pilgrim Ashling, who returns to Mount Tarufel with the elemental partly bounded to her, together with the third faerie Endry and `the sapling`, a young treefolk that rose from Colfenor`s ashes and contains all his knowledge.  Ashling discovers she is to become the fiery beacon of hope... or destruction.

Finally there is Merrow ferryman and apparent king of the Paperfin Merfolk Sygg, who together with the kithkin archer Brigid Baeli, hero of Kinsbale, are trying to travel to the Source of the Wandervine, the Father-Lane, to discover what is starting to go wrong amidst the people of the waterways.

All in all, this isn`t the best Magic novel I have read so far, as it is really all about tying up some small loose ends from volume one, while setting up all the events for the climatic events in volume three.  The book doesn`t read to smoothly as a consequence, really having a feel of filler for the cycle.

Is it worth getting?  Yes if you plan to read the whole cycle, no if you just want a one off fantasy novel to spend small time.  But it comes nowhere near the capturing levels of the first Magic book ever, Arena, or the Ravnica trilogy.